Field of the Invention
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a drive assistance system for a handicapped person, and more particularly, to a single link type drive assistance system for a handicapped person with improved convenience and appearance by operating an accelerator and a brake with one link.
Description of Related Art
Today, a drive assistance system for a handicapped person is based on a method of operating an accelerator and a brake by the hand to be able to drive a vehicle without operating them by the foot.
As an example, there is a drive assistance system for a handicapped person configured to include a control bar which may be operated by the hand, an accelerator link configured of an outer/inner tube and connected to an accelerator pedal arm, and a brake link configured of an outer/inner tube and connected to a brake pedal arm.
According to the drive assistance system for a handicapped person, when a handicapped person pulls a handle of the control bar, the accelerator link is pushed downward based on a bearing and thus a force is delivered a pedal through the link, such that the accelerator pedal is pressed to make acceleration. At the time of operating the accelerator, the brake link gets out by making the outer tube be slid from the inner tube and thus an operation of the brake pedal is not changed. To the contrary, when a handicapped person pushes the handle of the control bar forward, a force is delivered through the brake line to push the pedal and thus the brake pedal is operated, such that braking is made. At the time of operating the brake, the accelerator link gets out by making the outer tube be slid from the inner tube and thus an operation of the brake pedal is not changed.
Therefore, a handicapped person pulls or pushes the handle of the control bar to control the accelerator and the brake, such that he/she may drive a vehicle.
However, the drive assistance system for a handicapped person has an insufficient design from the perspective of a handicapped person, and therefore a lot of inconvenience may be caused.
As the example, operation noise which brings about customer complaints due to an excessive “clank” noise generated when the two links are slid during the operation of the drive assistance system and operation inconvenience which makes it difficult to perform elaborate acceleration due to a pedal ratio reduced at the time of acceleration or deceleration and requires an excessive force at the time of braking since the links are fixed to the pedal arm may be caused.
As another example, the drive assistance system may not be mounted at the time of applying a flow mount type accelerator pedal, and thus may be hardly applied to various pedal specifications.
First of all, low collision stability which fatally damages driver's face, chest, etc. due to a breakage of two links at the time of collision cannot but increase a risk of safety accidents of a handicapped person having coping capabilities lower than those of a normal person.
In particular, when considering that the number of handicapped persons registered in the country is constantly increasing to 2004 (1,610,000)→2008 (2,240,000)→2012 (2,510,000), there is a need to improve a drive assistance system for a handicapped person in which an accelerator link for acceleration and a brake link for braking are each configured in one control bar for operation in an independent double link type.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.